A Diva's Heart
by ImmortalHeartofFlame
Summary: The battle with the Authority is won, but Brie Bella's problems aren't over yet. Kharma still haunts the Bella twins, seeking revenge, and more importantly, Brie is being stalked by a certain Apex predator. What he wants, he takes, and he wants her. With her heart torn, will her marriage survive?
1. Chapter 1

_In the words of the awesome John Cena, I'm baaaaaack! :D I promised a sequel to _A Diva's Courage, _and here it is. I know the first chapter's short, but this is just the beginning. I'm excited to see people's thoughts on it. Enjoy!_

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A Diva's Heart  
Chapter 1

"Brie? Brie! Snap out of it!" said Nikki, snapping her fingers in her twin's face. Brie gave a start and looked around, having briefly forgotten where she was. Her and her sister were in the Diva's locker room getting ready for a match with AJ and Tamina. Things had calmed down quite a bit since the rebellion. Now, Triple H and Stephanie were hardly seen on RAW. But Brie still didn't feel right. Ever since her encounter with Randy before her wedding, she couldn't seem to get him out of her mind. He was constantly there, his sharp, blue eyes piercing in the back of her head. She hated him, but...there was something else there too. Something she couldn't quite explain. "Hey, are we doing this, or not?" asked Nikki impatiently, referring to their match. Shaking herself yet again, Brie slammed her locker shut and followed Nikki to the door. When they opened it though, they found their path blocked by Kharma. She smiled at them creepily.

"Hello, little girls." she greeted in a chilling voice. The Bellas automatically tensed for a fight.

"Look, Kharma, we don't want any trouble. Triple H's power is gone." Brie tried to reason.

"Oh, I know that." Kharma replied, still grinning maniacly. "But just because he's gone, doesn't mean our problems are over. If I'm not mistaken, you two weren't very nice to me last time we talked."

"Times have changed." countered Nikki.

Kharma shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't mean I won't get my revenge. I'll see you girls later." She threw back her braided head and laughed evilly before turning and walking down the hall, her laugh echoing back to the stunned Bella twins.

* * *

_I guess, all I can say is...I've fallen in love with you Brie..._

One lapse in concentration was all it took and Tamina had Brie pinned. The unlikely pair won and Brie cursed herself. How could she be so...so...stupid! She was a newly married woman and all she could think about was Randy and the things he'd said to her. Why? What was wrong with her?

That's the question Nikki kept asking, but Brie had no answer for it, so she just shook her head and said she didn't know. They changed back into their street clothes quickly at the end of the show. "You need a ride home?" asked Nikki.

"No, I'm going home with Daniel tonight." she replied, forgetting about Randy for a moment, a sly grin crossing her face. "What happens after that, I'll leave to your imagination."

Nikki grinned, understanding. "Alright, you two have fun." she replied, before walking out of the locker room. With Nikki gone, Brie's smile slid from her face and she sighed, gathering her things into her duffel bag, zipping it up and going out into the hall to wait for her new husband. It was eerily empty there, with only a few flourescent lights still on, barely illuminating the stark, white walls of the lengthy hall. _Oh, please get here soon Daniel. _she thought, hating being alone. She leaned against the wall, her black-heeled foot tapping anxiously on the linoleum floor. Where was he? She needed to distract herself until he came, so she pulled out her phone and started playing _Angry Birds. _She was so absorbed in it, that she didn't notice the footsteps approaching, or maybe he was just that good at stealth.

"Hello Brie." greeted a cool, familiar voice that pitted ice in her stomach and lit a fire in her heart at the same time. She jumped, her phone slipping from her hands and clattering loudly on the floor. She crouched, scooped it up, and straightened quickly before meeting the light sapphire eyes looking down on her. Dang, he was tall.

"Uh, hi." she replied awkwardly, unable to look away from his eyes. They were so...piercing. There wasn't any other way to describe them.

"Waiting for someone?" he asked, smirking.

Suddenly, she was back to herself again, the way she'd been when she was leading the fight against the authority. "Yeah, my _husband_. So you can just go about your business-" she was cut off when his hand raised to her face and pressed gently to her cheek. It felt so warm, it was distracting. So distracting, that she almost didn't catch his next words to her.

"Brie, I know you're married, but I've decided that I don't care. I love you, and I want you." he leaned closer so that his face was mere inches from her's. Her breath caught. "And what I want, I take." Abruptly, his lips were on her's, causing the heat in her chest to spread to the point where she felt like there was a fire raging beneath her skin. It was intense and overwhelming. So much more powerful than the gentle warmth she felt when she kissed Daniel. Just when she thought she couldn't stand it anymore, he pulled away, smiling like the Apex Predator he was. Brie was too stunned for words. "Just thought I should let you know that. Think about it, Bella." He walked past her then, continuing down the hall. For a while, Brie just stood there, frozen in shock. Did that just happen? What did it mean? Finally, she lifted her phone and texted a quick message to Daniel, asking where he was. She decided that she would pretend that never happened and move on. If she ignored the problem, it would go away, right? And Daniel didn't ever need to know.

Only her problem wouldn't simply go away. Not when the Heart Break Kid was standing just around the corner, and had seen and heard _everything. _No, Brie Bella's problem was just beginning.

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_Questions? Comments? Complaints? Please review! I'm accepting all. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long. I had _Nightmare on Elm Street_ in mind while I was typing this. You'll probably notice the effects of that. :D I swear I didn't do it on purpose. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 2

There was a buzz going on the next week on RAW. Rumor had it that Shawn Michaels had come to talk to his former apprentice Daniel Bryan about what happened to his friend, Triple H. Though "talks" in that place were usually code for "confrontation". It had Brie biting her nails with anxiety. Would Daniel be punished for her actions? As if summoned by her thoughts, Daniel appeared behind her in the break room and rubbed her upper arms comfortingly. "Worried about me?" he asked.

Brie dropped her hand from her lips, rolling her eyes and turning to face him. "Of course I am. Who knows what Shawn's going to do?"

Daniel chuckled. "Shawn's not a bad guy Brie. I'm sure he just wants to question me about everything that went on during the rebellion."

"But that's what I don't get. I was the one who led the rebellion that brought Triple H down. Why doesn't he want to talk to me?"

"Uh, don't forget that I was the one who first started up the rebellion. Albeit, unintentionally, but still."

Brie shook her head with concern. "I still don't like it." She glanced up to meet his gaze. "I should go out there with you."

But Daniel shook his head. "No. You've done enough already. You need a break. Just let me do my thing, okay?"

"But Daniel-" he cut her off with a look. Finally, she relented. "Alright."

"Thank you." he said, kissing her forehead.

"Is that all I get? This is a lot of effort for me." she said, tilting her head back expectantly. Laughing, Daniel leaned down to kiss her on the lips. She felt the steady warmth radiate from the pit of her stomach, like usual. It reminded her painfully of the white-hot heat she'd felt when Randy had kissed her. And that made her stomach tighten, ruining the moment. Daniel pulled away, looking concerned.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Before Brie could open her mouth to respond, a gruff voice interrupted, saying, "I'll tell you what's wrong." They both looked to see Shawn Michaels himself standing in the doorway, his face deadly serious. Brie suddenly felt nervous, like he knew her secret and was about to spill it. But then his face broke out in a mischievous smile and he spread his arms wide. "I'm here!" He galloped forward and threw an arm carelessly around Brie's shoulders. She staggered under the sudden weight, smiling with humor and relief. "You know I make 'em hot Daniel." he said jokingly. They all laughed, though Brie saw Daniel eye HBK's arm around her shoulders with slight apprehension. Shawn seemed to notice too and quickly removed it, his face serious again. "Hello Daniel. It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has." replied Daniel, his face just as serious. The two men stared each other down for a few minutes and Brie looked back and forth between them anxiously.

Finally, Shawn broke the tension with a friendly smile. "It's good to see you again Daniel." He leaned forward and they hugged each other the way men usually do, patting each other on the backs. Brie sighed and decided that it might be best to leave the two to themselves, to catch up. She slipped quietly from the break room and made her way to the employee lounge to chill for a bit before her next match with Tamina Snuka. It was a small room with dark green upholstered chairs and couches set up in an organized manner and two TVs hanging opposite each other on the walls. There were a few wrestlers in there, and even fewer divas. Thankfully, Randy was nowhere in sight. Getting a bottle of water out of a vending machine, she settled herself in one of the few empty chairs and watched the match playing out on the screen: Los Matedores against 3MB. _Oh, these guys again. _she thought sullenly. They were a joke, in her opinion. The match ended quickly enough and someone came out to talk. She wasn't sure how much time passed exactly, but the room was so warm and the chair she was in was so comfortable, that she felt her eyelids sliding shut involuntarily. In the darkness of sleep, she heard a terribly familiar voice whispering things to her. _I've fallen in love with you Brie...What I want, I take...Think about it, Bella..._

Her eyes snapped open and she looked around, disoriented. The room was surprisingly empty and the screens were blank. _Something's not right here. _She thought, getting up. That's when a tall figure rose up out of one of the chairs on the other side of the room. Randy looked at her to her with eyes as bright as blue flames, piercing her from across the room. He was dressed only in wrestling gear and looked as if he'd just come from a match, his whole body glistening with a mixture of sweat and oil. Brie's heart started to pound and she felt that disturbingly intense heat begin to spread through her body. Though she tried to remain calm as she asked, "What are you doing here Randy?"

His smile was lustful. "I want you Brie." Abruptly, he was in front of her, his arms locking around her and his lips pressing eagerly against her's in a way that she wasn't familiar with. She tried pushing him away, but at the same time, had an inexplicable to give in. _Daniel..I love Daniel! _she thought repeatedly, desperately.

* * *

"Brie? Brie, wake up." She awoke to Shawn Michael's gentle prodding. She stared at the Hall-of-Famer, confused. She was still in the lounge, but there were other people there and another match was playing out on the TV. _That was a dream? _It was so realistic, that she could still feel the last remnants of the intense heat dying away, like a fire starved of wood.

Sitting up straighter, she tugged her half-empty water bottle from where it was stuck between the cushion and chair arm and took a long swig before remembering that Shawn was there, his rugged face etched with deep concern. "Uh, sorry, I guess I dozed off." she said, forcing a small laugh. Shawn didn't join in. She took in his expression and asked carefully, "Is something wrong?" She looked around, wondering if Daniel was nearby, but didn't see him.

Finally, Shawn said, "Oh yeah, I'd say so." and settled himself on a nearby couch. His tone and position reminded her of a father about to lecture his teenage daughter.

"Well, what is it?" she prompted when he didn't speak right away.

"Look, Brie, I'm not quite sure what's going on between you and Randy," Brie's stomach tightened as soon as he said the name. Was she talking about him in her sleep? He continued, "but based on what you were mumbling in your sleep, it seems like you still love Daniel Bryan."

Brie was confused, then it dawned on her. "You saw Randy and I in the hallway that night."

He nodded seriously. "Yep."

Suddenly, it all made sense and the Bella twin was in a panic. "Oh God! You didn't...does Daniel know? What did you tell him?"

HBK shrugged, "Nothing really. I figure it's between you and your hubby and it would be wrong of me to get involved."

Brie sagged with relief, almost all of the tension leaving her body. "Thank you Shawn." she said, her words dripping gratitude.

"Don't thank me. I didn't say anything because I'm hoping you'll be the one to tell him. If it's simply a misunderstanding, or Randy is targeting you for some reason, Daniel should understand." Brie nodded, but already knew she wasn't going to tell him. This problem with Randy was something she would handle on her own, without Daniel's knowledge. If she could stand up to an evil dictator and his wife, one man shouldn't be a problem. "Don't try taking him on Brianna." remarked Shawn, as if reading her train of thought. "I've known Randy Orton for a long time. He's devious, and if you're not careful, he _will _get you."

"But I've kept him at bay before. Why should this time be any different?" She smirked. A few good kicks to the groin, and he would forget all about chasing her.

"Because he's more determined this time. From what I've seen, he wants you about as badly as he wanted that title and you've seen what he did to get it." Shawn's words sent a chill down her spine. Yes, she knew the things Randy was willing to do to get something he dearly wanted. He didn't care who he had to hurt, or what harmful tactics he had to use. Suddenly, she was frightened. Not for herself...but for Daniel. "You understand me?" asked Shawn, his eyes intent on her face.

After a moment, Brie nodded. It was at that moment she felt a tap on her shoulder that nearly made her jump out of her skin. It was Nikki. She was wearing one of her boyfriend's many hats along with her wrestling gear. "Sorry to interrupt, but your match is next, sis." Her dark eyes flicked to Shawn questioningly. He stood quickly.

"I'll take that as my cue to leave." he said, giving Brie a loaded look. She nodded at him, understanding. They parted ways in the hall.

"What was that about?" Nikki asked as they made their way to the stage entrance.

"Nothing really. Shawn just wanted to talk to me about something..." Her voice trailed off when she spotted Randy walking toward them, looking almost exactly like he had in her dream, minus the smile. Brie felt her stomach tense as they made eye contact and his lips turned up at the corners. He nodded at her as he passed. She didn't return the silent greeting, but Nikki's eyes missed nothing.

"Whoa, what was that?" she asked in shock. They were just reaching the entrance.

Brie decided to play dumb. "What was what?"

"You know exactly what! Randy Orton just smiled at you!" Thankfully, Brie didn't have time to answer this, as their music hit and it was time for them to go out in front of the WWE Universe.

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Later that night, Brie met Daniel in the parking garage. She was just managing to dodge her sister's persistent questioning about Randy when John Cena showed up to take Nikki back to their place. Brie was so caught up in her relief at not having to make up excuses to her twin, that she didn't notice the strange silence between her and Daniel in the car as they pulled out of the garage. "Daniel?" she asked, slightly nervous.

"Hmm?" he asked absently, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

"...Is everything alright?"

He spared her a puzzled glance. "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"Well...you're awfully quiet."

"Oh, I was just thinking about the discussion Shawn and I had."

She was suddenly, overwhelmingly nervous. Had Shawn lied to her? "What sort of discussion?"

"Well, it started out friendly enough, but got a little heated when we got to the subject of Triple H. In the heat of the moment, he told me that the WWE was like a snake pit and I can't trust anyone. Not Triple H, not him...not even you." He chuckled. "I swear, I almost put him in the yes lock." Brie laughed with him, but the nerves didn't go away. Daniel still looked concerned. "I was just wondering why he would even bring you into it."

Brie looked out the window, her mind a mess of words and images. "I...I really don't know."

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_Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! :) I will update as soon I can._


	3. Chapter 3

_Here's chapter 3! Sorry it took so long. I was trying to figure out what to do next in the story. The plot is slowly becoming clearer in my head, so updates might come faster. Reviews actually helped with my thought process because someone mentioned kidnapping, and I thought, "Hmm, that's a good idea." And I worked it in here with another appearance by Kharma. Hope you like it!_

_Oh, and guest person who kept repeatedly bugging me to update, I appreciate reviews and your enthusiasm for my story, but I can only work so fast. Please have patience! Limit two reviews per chapter. Thank you. :) Unless that was more than one person who reviewed as a guest, then please disregard this._

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Chapter 3

Nikki and Brie were sitting in the catering room a few days later, having lunch. The room was long and rectangular with three long rectangular tables to compliment it. One table had food spread out across it while the other two were for sitting. Other than the Bella twins, there were a few minor wrestlers at the food table and the newbie diva, JoJo sat in the far corner of the room, eyes locked on the phone in her hand. Brie's eyes had swept the room for Randy Orton and she was thankful when she didn't see him. She wasn't sure why, but she was afraid of running into him again. It might have had a lot to do with Shawn Michael's words to her. "Alright, that's it." said Nikki suddenly, throwing her crumpled napkin down on her empty plate and breaking their silence. Brie looked at her in surprise.

"What?"

"You've been jumpy for the past few days, constantly looking over your shoulder and I want to know why. It's not like you. Either you tell me right now, or I'm out of here."

Brie was stunned. Had she been that obvious? She looked down at the table, trying to find some way of telling her sister about things, without telling her the actual truth. Unfortunately, she couldn't. She felt Nikki put a hand on her shoulder. "You can tell me anything Brie, you know that."

Brie looked up into Nikki's sincere eyes, so much like her own, and decided to just let it out. This was her twin sister, not Daniel. It couldn't hurt to tell her the truth. "Alright Nikki, here's what's going on: Randy kissed me."

Nikki's mouth dropped open and she recoiled as if Brie had bitten her. "Excuse me?"

"I didn't kiss him back, I didn't want him to kiss me, but he did and I felt...overwhelmed. It was so much more powerful than Daniel's kisses and I don't know what to do with it. The bad thing about it is, before that, Randy told me that...that what he wants, he takes...and that he loves me. I tried to overlook him, to pretend it didn't happen because I love Daniel, I really do, and I don't want to hurt him. But Shawn Michaels saw the kiss and he came to talk to me, telling me that Randy would do anything to get what he wants most, like how he really wanted that title. It...It scares me because I don't know what Randy'll do or say the next time he sees me. And that's the truth."

Nikki sat back in her chair, looking shocked. "Huh."

"Is that all you have to say?" asked Brie, somewhat desperately.

Nikki shook her head. "No." She leaned forward and folder her arms together on the table. After a moment's thought, she looked at Brie and said, "I think you should tell Daniel. Tell him now, before it gets out of hand. He could take care of that snake."

For some reason, Brie was appalled by this. "What? I can't-"

She was interrupted by an evil cackle that seemed to fill the room, making everything seem darker. Everyone in the room tensed. JoJo looked up from her phone with wide eyes, looking like a scared child. The Bellas didn't have to look to know that the evil witch Kharma was abruptly right behind them. Before they could react to defend themselves though, the mammoth woman grabbed them by their hair, a fistful in each hand, and yanked them stumbling out of their seats. Both girls screeched in pain. "I've got you now, little girls!" she laughed. Brie got a random image in her head of a scene from _Wizard of Oz._ _I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too! _

The image was ridiculous and was dispelled immediately when Kharma yanked them both around and let go so the twins crashed into the food table. It cracked in half on impact, food spilling to the floor and on the girls. The situation might have been funny, if Brie wasn't so terrified. Kharma stomped toward them and grabbed Nikki by the throat. "You're no match for me, little girl." Her eyes flicked to Brie who was trying to recover on the food table mess so she could help her sister. "Neither of you are."

"Let her go!" screamed Brie, getting to her knees and launching herself at the giant woman's legs. Kharma didn't budge. She threw Nikki roughly to the floor and pulled Brie up by back of her neck. Brie struggled viciously, kicking Kharma in the shins and knees with the toes of her high heels. The other diva only laughed.

"You've got guts, little girl, but I'm ten times stronger than you in all your pathetic glory." Brie gasped as the grip on her neck tightened. She glanced at her sister for help, but Nikki appeared to be unconscious, sprawled on the floor. _I'm on my own. _This realization in mind, Brie made one daring, albeit stupid, move: She slapped Kharma across the face, hard enough that the woman's head actually whipped to the side on impact. It was a small, short-lived victory. Kharma glared at Brie and snarled, "Big mistake." before turning and throwing her across the room. Brie felt the wind blowing past her ears a second before she slammed into the opposite wall and crumpled to the floor. Her head hurt where it had made contact with the hard, cement wall and she felt dizzy and sick.

But she tried to stand anyway.

The wrestlers had fled from the room and she could hear JoJo at the door, yelling at Brie to stay down, play dead, but she ignored her. She refused to give up, to surrender to one diva, no matter how big and scary. Finally, JoJo gave up and ran to get help. Meanwhile, Kharma was laughing triumphantly and lumbering toward her. "Give up little girl. I'm going to hurt you so bad, you'll never be able to come back." Brie was getting unsteadily to her feet and moved dizzily into her fighting stance. The room seemed to shift and pitch before her and her head ached. She reached back to the spot where the pain radiated from and pulled back to see that her slender hand was half covered with blood. She lurched forward, her stomach churning. A hand clamped around her throat and pushed her back so she was pressed to the wall. She felt a sudden, strange fatigue overwhelming her. The world became blurred and muffled. Kharma said something, but Brie couldn't make it out. The pressure on her throat tightened.

She blacked out.

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When she woke again, even before opening her eyes, Brie knew she was in a place she's never been before. She was injured. She should've been on one of the hard, stiff green cots that occupied the trainers room, where injured wrestlers and divas went to be examined. Or, if it was severe enough, she should be on an exceedingly uncomfortable hospital bed. But the bed she was laying on was so soft and warm, like what it might feel like to lie on a cloud. Brie opened her eyes.

No, this was not a place she recognized. The ceiling above her was gray and rounded. She went to sit up, but was seized by dizziness the moment she lifted her head. She let it fall back on the pillow where the dizziness immediately ceased. But she needed to know where she was. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she took stock of herself, moving her arms and legs experimentally. The rest of her seemed to be fine, despite a few minor aches. Her head felt heavier though, compressed. She lifted one hand to touch it. She felt the rough, soft texture of a bandage. _Well, it's not too bad. But Kharma said she would injure me to the point where I was out of commision...Someone must have come while I was blacked out to stop her, but why wouldn't I be in some kind of medical physility? _As she lay there, she became aware of a thrumming vibration beneath her, reminiscent of a moving vehicle. _Okay, so I'm in some kind of...truck. _Then she remembered that most of the wrestlers had their own buses to take them places, a luxury Daniel had never been interested in. So she was in a bus, but it couldn't possibly be Daniel's, so it had to be..._Oh no. _She had a sinking feeling. But maybe it wasn't what she thought. John had a bus. Maybe Nikki had convinced him to let Brie recuperate in it, where it would be comfortable. But that didn't make sense. Nikki knew Brie didn't care for the luxuries of life. That was a reason she wanted to be with Daniel...

The sinking feeling came back, and as it did, she heard a clicking sound, like a door was opening at the foot of her bed. Noise of a running vehicle spilled in and was blocked out just as quick when the door was closed. She could feel someone's eyes on her, but she dared not raise her head. "Good morning Brie." greeted a terribly familiar man's voice. Brie closed her eyes with a tired sigh and instantly fell asleep, more tired than she realized.

* * *

_You can look, but you can't touch. You keep dreaming on the stars above..._

Nikki walked briskly down the ramp to the ring, her expression a mask of fury. When she'd come to in the trainer's room, her sister had been nowhere in sight. Doctor Sampson informed her that neither Brie, nor Kharma had been anywhere in sight when medics arrived on the scene. So that led Nikki to believe that Brie had been kidnapped by the witch and hidden somewhere. And, so help her, she would find out where.

Once inside the ring, she put the microphone to her lips and spoke, glaring in the direction of the titantron. "Alright Kharma. I don't care how big you are or how scary, but I am not afraid of you. I have something to talk to you about, so get out here. Now."

There was a pause before the disturbing music began, sending shivers down the audience members' spines, as well as Nikki's, though she remained stoic. Kharma shuffled down to the ring, that psychotic smile on her face. She climbed into the ring and walked forward to stand directly in front of the Bella twin, microphone in hand. "You wanted me little girl, here I am. Hope you don't regret it." Her tone was menacing, but Nikki pressed on.

"You attacked my sister and I in the catering room the other day, and I demand to know what you did with her."

Kharma let out a long, loud cackle into the mic. "What I did with her? Ha! I gave her the beating she deserved."

"But where is she?" Brie pressed, trying not to flip out.

"Hell if I know." Kharma replied, her face abruptly angry. "I was about to finish her off with a choke slam when that snake man came running in. He gave me an RKO, grabbed that little girl and ran off with her. Probably a good thing too, or I might have gone after _him_ next."

Brie was shell-shocked, her mind going back to the conversation the twins had been having right before Kharma attacked. _But Shawn Michaels saw the kiss and he came to talk to me, telling me that Randy would do anything to get what he wants most, like how he really wanted that title. It...It scares me because I don't know what Randy'll do or say the next time he sees me. _

"Oh, no." Nikki muttered. She almost missed when Kharma's hand came up, otherwise she would've been thrown to the ring floor. Instead, she ducked just as Kharma was swatting out at her and slid out of the ring, doing a full-on sprint to get backstage. Even there, she kept running until she got to the wrestler's locker room and knocked frantically. As luck would have it, Daniel Bryan was the one to open the door. "...Nikki?" he questioned, as if not quite sure it was her. He looked tired. He'd been worried about Brie for the past two days, wondering what had happened to her. It'd been Nikki's idea to just go out to the ring and call Kharma out, rather than simply look around or wait for authorities to help.

"Yeah, Daniel, it's me. There's something we need to talk about, and you're going to want to sit down to hear this."

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_Uh oh, what'll happen next? You will find out in the next chapter, which I will post ASAP. Until then, thanks for reading and let me know what you think. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey, here's chapter four! Sorry for the long wait. I was distracted by other things. Hope people are satisfied with this chapter, though it is a bit sad. The next chapter may wrap this story up. Thank you all for hanging in there, even though I haven't been very quick with chapters. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 4

"Randy, for the last time, I don't want food. I just want to _go_!" Brie said in a weary, hard voice, pushing away the plate of scrambled eggs he'd offered her. It was the morning of her third day on Randy's bus and she felt like a prisoner. Though she felt much better than she had the first day, Randy insisted that she needed a little more time to heal. But he wouldn't let her even call anyone to tell them she was okay and he wouldn't let her leave the tiny bedroom, though he did feed her and try to make pointless small talk. In the meantime, she worried about what was going on outside the giant, rectangular space. What did Kharma do to Nikki? Was Daniel worried? According to Randy, nobody knew she was here except for him and his personal doctor who had attended to her while unconscious.

"If you don't start eating, I may have to force you to." Randy threatened cooly, completely ignoring her last statement.

"I'll eat if you let me off this bus." she countered, folding her arms defiantly across her chest and ignoring her stomach's growls in response to the steaming plate of eggs she'd shoved carelessly to the side of the bed. She could almost hear them calling to her, but eating now would feel like surrendering, and she didn't do that. Daniel's advice from a while ago echoed in her head: _Stay strong._ She repeated it to herself often.

"Why don't we pretend food doesn't exist outside this bus?" he replied, mirroring her gesture of defiance by crossing his own arms across his chest. Except instead of defiance, his gesture reminded Brie of an unyielding wall. He sat on the edge of the bed where he'd been seating himself everyday she'd been here.

Brie leaned toward him, her lowered dark brows making her look dangerous as she spit venomously, "Then I'll starve."

This set him off. In a sudden spasm of anger, Randy flung the eggs against the wall. "Fine! Starve yourself!" He got up and paced the length of the small room, a muscle in his jaw working, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Brie was tensed in her position on the bed, not sure what he would do next. Finally, he stopped and looked at her, his eyes full mixed emotions. "I don't understand you. Didn't you say you loved me the day of the wedding? What happened to that?"

"That hasn't changed." she replied evenly, studying his his face carefully, waiting for him to blow up again. "It's just that Daniel is a nice, _safe_ guy whom I've loved a lot longer than you. Can you understand that?"

It was a long time before Randy answered. He stared down at the floor, thinking, before raising his eyes to her's. Only one emotion was clear in them and it was the icy fire of greed. "No. I can't-won't-understand that. You're right Brie. I'm not a nice guy, so I don't _do_ nice-guy things...like letting you get off this bus and go back to _him_."

"Randy!" Brie cried, both fists slamming down on the bed in exasperation. "You can't keep me here against my will! It's not even legal!"

Randy's chuckle sent shivers down her spine. "This is the WWE, Brie. _Everything _is legal here."

"No..." she replied, her heart sinking. Her eyes darted to the small door just behind him. If she moved fast enough, she could get to it and be out of there before he had time to stop her. He was still talking to her when she moved into a crouch and sprang toward the door. She had it open in a second and was running through the bus, past all sorts of furniture and luxurious amenities. The doors were already open and she jumped through them, escape her only thought. No sooner had the cool, parking garage air hit her face than two strong arms grabbed her from behind. She squirmed and kicked. "Let GO Randy!"

"I'm not Randy." said a gruff, familiar voice in her ear. She froze in shock.

"...Roman Reigns?" she questioned, her voice thick with confusion. As if summoned by magic, the two other members of the Shield stepped in front of her, fully dressed in their jet black uniforms. "But-But you guys were suspended..."

"Yeah, but they're not working for the Authority anymore. I hired them to be my personal security." said Randy, stepping off the bus. "And to make sure you don't get away."

Brie sighed deeply, feeling the weight of another complication, mixed with despair settle on her heart. _This is just great._

* * *

"_What?_" replied Daniel in an incredulous voice. Nikki had explained everything to him, telling him Brie's story the best way she could and how she believed Randy had kidnapped her after Kharma's attack. The only question was where he hid her. "That bastard has Brie? Why didn't she tell me about this whole thing?"

Nikki shrugged helplessly. "She was afraid you would be upset, I guess. Honestly, seeing your reaction now, I can't blame her."

Daniel shook his head, his expression set in anger. "I need to see him and force him to tell me where she is."

The other Bella twin nodded supportively. "I'll help you."

He glanced at her, concern for his sister-in-law flashing in his eyes. "That might not be a good idea Nicole. Randy's psychotic and unpredictable; He will hurt you if he gets the chance."

Nikki smirked. "Let him try. I can take care of myself."

* * *

Brie paced the length of the bus, her eyes constantly flicking to the closed doors, where Roman and Seth stood guard. Randy had left a while ago, promising that he would come back later so they could talk. _More like threatening. _Brie had thought. She tried to come up with a good plan of escape, but the best she could think of was to make a break for it when the doors opened and try to avoid the Shield. The bus windows only opened so far and she wasn't _that_ skinny. She abruptly stopped her pacing and let herself flop down on a small sofa pushed against the wall. Though she hated to think of it, right now she was a damsel in distress. The thought felt like nails digging into her skin. She wanted to be strong, to find her own way out of this mess, but it seemed nearly impossible. The best she could hope for was that she could be quick enough to get away, or...someone would come and rescue her. The last part made her grind her teeth. Hopefully she could get away on her own.

She got up and looked out the window when she heard Dean's voice echoing in the otherwise silent garage. She saw him approaching his fellow team members, saying, "Roman, come on. The boss is getting trouble from Goat Face and the other Bella twin. We need to teach him a lesson." Without another word, the two Shield members jogged off, leaving Seth alone to guard. Brie smirked. This evened her odds a bit.

* * *

Randy strode confidently down the corridor toward his next match, the title slung over his shoulder. Just as he was nearing the next corner, a figure stepped in his way: A very angry-looking Nikki Bella. "Where's my sister?" she questioned with a hard tone as he came to a stop in front of her. He looked her over, admiring how much like Brie she really looked, but there was a vulnerability about her that Brie didn't have. "Answer me." she demanded, her voice shaking slightly under his intense gaze.

"How should I know?" he answered cooly, not looking the least bit guilty.

"Because you're the one hiding her, you son of a bitch." answered another voice. Daniel Bryan stepped around the corner, looking more furious than Randy had ever seen him. Though he was slightly surprised by this, he didn't let it show, keeping his eyes neutral.

"I don't know what you two are talking about, but I've got a match to get to, and you're blocking my way. So I suggest you move before I get _really_ annoyed." Daniel stepped in front of Nikki so that he was standing chest-to-chest the viper.

"Why don't you make us?" he asked in a low, threatening voice.

Randy's voice was just as dangerously low. "Maybe I will." The two men stared each other down, sparks practically visible between them. Daniel's focus was only broken when he heard a yelp of surprise behind him and looked to see Nikki caught in Dean Ambrose's headlock.

"Nikki!" he shouted, making a move to help her. But before he could take one step, Randy slammed his title into the back of Daniel's head. Daniel crumpled to the floor and Randy immediately started kicking him repeatedly in the stomach with the help of Roman Reigns while Nikki watched helplessly, screaming Daniel's name. The beating was interrupted when someone jumped on Randy's back from behind, arms and legs wrapped around his neck and torso. Randy's eyes widened in surprise, but he knew who it was without having to see.

"Get her off!" he grunted to Roman beside him. Roman literally had to Pry Brie off the Apex Predator's back and held her tightly around the waist while she kicked and thrashed wildly. Randy watched her, a half amused, half-savage smile playing around his thin lips.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" she was screaming repeatedly while Daniel groaned on the floor and her sister looked on in open-mouthed shock. After a while, she went silent, her breath coming in deep gasps. She didn't have the energy to scream anymore, so she settled for staring at him with eyes that could have killed if looks could.

"You hate me, huh?" he asked, his voice quiet compared to the screeching of a minute ago. The small group had drawn a handful of people to the corridor to stare at the drama that seemed to be unfolding before their eyes. Aware of the eyes on them, but not caring, Randy took a deliberate step forward and gripped her chin between two fingers. Her sharp-edged anger seemed to dull as he stared into her eyes, molding, changing into the heat that always seemed to envelope her in his presence. He lowered his mouth to her's and it was like a fight exploded inside her between the part of her that wanted to pull away and the part of her that wanted to simply give in. Not knowing what to do, she froze. After a full minute, he pulled away and it was like coming up from under water. She felt eyes on her and looked down to see Daniel staring at her, disgust and disbelief mixed together in his eyes. "See that Daniel?" said Randy, a triumphant smile on his face. "It's obvious your new wife prefers me over you."

Brie blinked as she realized what Randy had said, and what it must have looked like to Daniel. "What? No, no, that's not true-!" She cut herself off when several things happened at once: Daniel leapt at Randy and the two fell to the floor, punching and kicking and wrestling around in general. Then a large figure shot out from the hallway beside Dean and Nikki. John Cena wrapped one, beefy arm around Dean's neck, catching the smaller man in his own headlock. Dean automatically released Nikki in surprise, who, as soon as she was free, launched herself at Roman Reigns.

"LET GO OF MY SISTER YOU JERK!" she screamed, beating on the tall man with her fists. He let go of Brie to shield himself and Brie found herself standing in the middle of a chaotic fight. In the one corner, John had managed to make Dean pass out. The black-clad wrestler crumpling to the floor.

Roman, seeming to have had enough of Nikki's barrage of slaps and punches turned and fled, saying as he did so, "No amount of money is worth this soap-opera crap!"

The only two left fighting were Daniel and Randy. Brie felt as if her heart were being torn in half. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Please, just stop!" Neither man seemed to hear her. They were eventually pulled away from each other by a flutter of referees as Brad Maddox came on the scene. It took three referees to hold each man back. Brie's heart ached at the sight of Daniel's battered and bruised face and torso. A thin trickle of blood ran from his nose. Randy looked much the same, if not worse. What struck Brie most was how Daniel refused to look at her, though he had to know she was looking at him.

"What's going on here?" asked the RAW general manager, looking around at the small group. No one answered, so he said, "Alright, everyone who's involved in this, whatever it is, to my office now." He turned on his heels and strode away.

Dean was rolled away on a gurney. John went to Nikki and looked lovingly into her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked seriously. She nodded grimly and they joined in an embrace. Randy gave Brie a meaningful look, which she ignored, and strode away after a quick glare at Daniel who stood looking at the floor, his features hard. Brie went to him.

"Hey, you alright?" she asked gently, but with slight trepidation. After a long moment, he turned his gaze on her and it was like a dagger to her already torn heart. His eyes were a mixture of anger, hurt, betrayal...every painful emotion that existed seemed to form a vast ocean in his irises and it stung deeply.

"What do you think?" he said finally, his voice doing nothing to ease the emotional blow. He moved past her in the direction of the GM's office. Brie stood forlornly in the middle of the hall, feeling cold inside as she never had before. Nikki walked over to her and offered her twin a comforting hand on the shoulder. Brie shook it off.

"Just...leave me alone for a minute." Brie said, her voice cracking with threatening tears. Nikki stared at her for a minute, then nodded in understanding. Once she'd turned the corner, and Brie was completely alone, she sank to the floor and let herself be overcome with tears, like water breaking through a dam.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! I will update as soon as I can._


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